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Josh Church's IMChoo 2019 Race Plan

edited September 24, 2019 7:02PM in Races & Places 🏁⛺

Background

This will be my fifth full IM and  fourth time at Choo. This was my third OS with EN FTP went from 279 to 287 and Vdot 52. My build to this race was good on the cycling front, swim build about normal, Run was not ideal for 4-5 weeks in July. 

Bib Number: 576

Personal Stats:

FTP 287, 4.2 w/Kg

VDot 52: Questionable due to a leg injury on July 13th

Weight 148-150

Pre-Race Days/Admin is pretty much identical to last year

Thursday

No more fiber/vegetables

Swim

Breakfast

Check EN Packing List

Travel to Chattanooga

Lunch

Athlete Check-in and Village

Dinner- 6 pm

 

Friday

Last Short workouts/ Bike Checks

Breakfast

Athlete briefing: 11am or 2pm

Lunch- 200 carbs

Organize all transition bags:

  • T1-helmet, salt pills,Caffeinated GU
  • Bike S/N- extra Co2 & tube
  • Run S/N- extra salt, lube
  • T2- Go Bag(hat, race belt/bib, salt) Socks/shoes

Big dinner- 200 carbs

 

Saturday

Breakfast-Largest Meal- 350 Carbs

Lunch- 300 carbs

Continue sodium/hydrating

Bike Drop off- 1:30-2:30pm

Dinner- lite early meal 4:30-5pm

Bed 8:30

 

Race Day

Up at 0345

  • 2cups applesauce, honey, banana, 16 oz Gatorade Endurance, 8 oz Naked Smoothie
  • Morning clothes bag and special needs ready
  • Suite up body glide and chamois cream everywhere.
  • Out the door 0420-0425

Arrive at transition 0430

  • Re-familiarize myself where bike and T1/T2 bags are
  • Pump up tires
  • Infinit in BTA bottle and down tube
  • Give Amber bike pump
  • Get on bus to swim start 0440
  • Gel /water 6:30hr before swim start
  • Gel/water 7:15
  • Age Group Start: 7:30

 

Swim

Goal:  50 min or less

  • Depending on current. 2017- 53:17 min, 2018- Swim Cancelled 
  • Count strokes, focus on a good catch and steady turn-over.
  • Swim till my hand hits the stairs.

T1:

Goal 3:15

  • 2017- 3:20, 4th in age group, 2018- Swim Cancelled
  • Get up swim exit and regain balance, steady jog while removing cap and goggles, swim skin to waist.
  • Get up the crowded ramp. Yell out number but remember where I'm at incase volunteers aren't swift.
  • Open bag, helmet out by the time I enter tent, swim skin rest of the way off and snap chin strap. Get on the bike!

 

 

Bike:

Goal:  5:15:00 (2018- 5:23:55)

   With my run durability slightly questionable I don’t want to go too hard on the bike. I still think I am capable of putting up my goal time if the winds and heat are friendly early on. I’m aiming for .70 IF. Best Bike Split is very generous so with aid station slow downs and possible heat at the end I left some fluff in my goal time.

 

FTP 287 Best Bike Split- 22.6 mph BBS- 22.3 BBS- 22.8

Avg Pwr 197.2 191.3 201

Norm. Pwr 200 194 204

IF .70 .68 .71

TSS 249 236 256

Total Time 5:06:07 5:09:54 5:03:42

 


  • Stay calm and collected. It's an easy 3-5 admin miles before settling in. Watch for Ricky Racer, bottles flying, and railroad tracks. Depending on where I come out of the water, it might be less hazardous than I expect. Let HR settle out of T2, don't over power and let HR limit power if needed!
  • After crossing the state line stay in aero bars, no more crazy turns. Keep HR 140 and hydrate during this first hour.
  • Let watts grow to 196. Have ninja execution.
  • HR historically bounces around 144-145 in the last hr. I will keep it as low and steady as possible. Gonna be hot so it might be a battle to stay cool from mile 95 to T2.

 

 

Nutrition

  • First hour is one bottle of Infinit (300cals/hr), Salt spills(2 per hr) 
  • After finishing Infinit I switch to GE 1-1.5 bottles per hr based on heat and 1 GU Roctane an hour for 4hrs, Salt pill every hour. 
  • Start caffeine towards last half of bike mile 85-90
  • Finish off with water/saltpill/cliff gel.
  • Stay cool with water when it heats up. That means having 2 bottles of water for the body coming out of Chickamauga, this is when I usually feel the heat.
  • Load up on water at the last aid station before the right turn back into town. Stay wet and cool cruise into town with confidence. Feet out of shoes before small downhill leading to dismount line.


T2: Goal 1:58

  • 2018 was 2:00 6th in AG
  • Fancy rolling dismount and continue jogging after bike hand off. Unclip chin strap keep sunglasses on. Yell out number find and point to the volunteer closest to my bag. Open bag while running, shoes in hand when entering tent. Dump bag near exit, Socks and shoes on, get volunteer to bag helmet, grab go bag and exit.
  • Manage GoBag- race belt and hat on. Stash extra chamois cream and salt in jersey and shorts. Eat Gu out of transition if hungry.

Run:

Goal 3:55:00 (whatever the heat allows) (2017: 4:01:00) (2018 4:00:05)

  • A big asterisk on the run is my 4 week break that started July 13th. I lost some durability im sure but Ive been building the run back without doing anything stupid to convince myself I can run a marathon. My final 15 mile run, 9/19, felt great and was run at 6,500 ft elevation so that's enough to give me confidence.
  • First 6 miles by HR. Changing to RPE at mile 20ish
  • Hill right out of transition- will take this very easy, walk some if HR requires.
  • Target last hour bike avg. HR (145) and will hold that to the basesalt tent at the hot corner. Then sit at 150-153 until it's time to race. This was verified by my 2018 run.
  • Walking 15-20 steps at aid stations for the first 6 to stay fueled.
  • Taking GE every aid station and gels at mile 3 and 5 within the first hour before hitting the hills.
  • Will continue GE and gels as stomach allows. Throwing in some caffeine around mile 10-11 and will repeat as needed. Coke if needed mile 18-20
  • Allow HR drifting to 158 climbing Barton not sustained. HR will drop back to 138 on downhill.
  • Miles 7-20 let HR go 150, make that rise slow and steady. Limit aid stations to 15 steps as long as things are under control.
  • My HR Avg was 162 on the entire second lap in 2018
  • Steady on front side of Barton hill, Let HR fall as much as possible on downhill.  Steady 160+ through the neighborhood one last time.
  • Mile 23.7 last effort on Barton (backside) and let it fly to the finish line. Skipping the last aid station at the bottom of the hill.


Comments

  • Weight 248-250? Something change since I last saw you?

  • Race well and have fun! I'm impressed that Amber is getting up with you!

  • @Josh Church Great race plan, nothing to add. I spectated IM Choo last year and was amazed at the heat and humidity. It sounds like you have the experience on the course and a plan to manage the elements. Good skills on race day!

  • @Josh Church First off I'm not sure what the injury was in July but you got in the final weeks of the IM plan. Combine that with your deep fitness you should be fine at the race just not optimal.

    My comment:

    1) Start dumping water on yourself before you feel hot. Unless it's cold for you at the start I say just make this part of the plan when you drink put some water on the head.

    Have a great race.

  • edited September 24, 2019 10:22PM

    @Brian Terwilliger fixed lol

    @Janyne Kizer yes she is the best!

    @Jeff Phillips it is looking hot again but dew point is much lower as of now so there is hope!

    @Gordon Cherwoniak yes that’s a better mindset for cool, do it before it’s already happening.

    Thanks guys and gals!

  • @Josh Church Never forget that you are racing. Swim at your limit. Bike steady, but with intent. Patience, discipline, very controlled breathing the first 6-8 miles; then ask "Can I keep this up the rest of the way?" It should keep getting harder, but the finish keeps getting closer.

    If it's hot, then your HR becomes your primary metric, and cooling measures at the aid station take priority. If you don't have a race saver bag, ask Coach Patrick if you can get one from him at the race. Fill it with ice every AS, and put that somewhere a lot of blood flows - over the heart is my preferred location, held in place by my skin tight race suit.

  • @Al Truscott thanks for those reminders. Sometimes I’m too conservative and need that reminder. I do have a Race Saver bag and will definitely have it in my go bag. I hope I still have some extra red blood cells floating around for a little kick when it gets tough on the run.

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